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The Manxman (1929)
Anna Ondra I love you
I had low hopes of this movie when I picked it up for £1 at a local flea market. Hitchcock himself said "It was a very banal picture". It is a poor story - surely no-one is happy at the end ? and to call Malcolm Keen's acting wooden is to give him more praise than is deserved, after all wood can be varied and beautiful. Plus there is a complete lack of rapport between him and Anna - whatever happens he is pop-eyed and worried! When they disappear up the grassy hill at the end you can imagine the inevitable breakdown of the relationship.
However the film was redeemed for me by 1) Anna Ondra - she looks gorgeous in every scene and conveys a wide range of emotions with sincerity and 2) the photography - the shots of the fishing village and boats(Cornwall) and especially the beach meeting between Ondra and Keen are stylish and impressive. So I enjoyed it - it's well worth £1!
Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)
Let's not get carried away....
Well somebody's got to stand up against the euphoria of (all?) the other comments here ! OK it's a passable movie with some outstanding moments but having just watched all the Fred & Ginger musicals it seems to me what the dances in this film lack is rapport between Eleanor and Fred - as someone said they're like two soloists dancing together.
I would except Begin the Beguine which rates with the best, helped by a super set and with Eleanor at last in an stylish costume.
Eleanor Powell was no ballet dancer - the number where she tries it is painful. She's pretty and has nice legs but elegant - no. All that high kicking in the ship number ohhh. I agree she's an excellent tap dancer but there's a lot of pretentious posing in the masked number.
Frank Morgan and the cape joke is tedious, and the whole plot makes you want to shout "somebody sort this out so we can watch them dance !" And do the other people who commented really like the variety acts we have to watch !
Oh and I know the Murphy/Astaire number at the beginning is corny (surely it's meant to be) but it's slick and amusing and I like it
The film is worth viewing but better than "The Gay Divorce", "Top Hat" or "Shall We Dance" or any of the Fred and Ginger musicals ? - oh please !